No C 14
Richmond, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 60-23
Black-figure amphora
Group E
Zeus is seated on a throne. He is represented facing.
Seated, he is almost as tall as the surrounding standing
figures. The feet rest on a footstool. The forearms are extended
horizontally forward, the right hand grasping a thunderbolt, the
left hand holding a staff. The god has a pointed
beard and wears his long hair loose. His dress consists of a
chiton and a himation, which covers the right upper arm and
the left arm in part.
Athena is represented emerging from the head of Zeus, facing.
Her dress presumably consists of a peplos and the aigis. The
aigis is bordered by a fringe of serpents and is' decorated
with a gorgoneion. The goddess wears a helmet, carries a
shield on the left arm and holds a spear in the right hand.
There are two deities on each side of the picture. On the
right a goddess with a crown on her head, the right forearm
raised, with palm turned inward and extended fingers,
the left arm hanging down with clenched fist, and Ares,
characterised as such by helmet, shield, spear and greaves.
On the left side a goddess, the arms extended obliquely upward,
with palms turned towards each other and extended fingers, and
Hermes, identified by the petasos, the kerukeion and
the endromides.
The throne has rectangular legs decorated with double
palmettes and cut-out incisions round their stems. The throne
is backless, but has a horse's protome at the rear corners.
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